President merges auxiliary, general fund budget operations

YPSILANTI - In an effort to improve efficiency, Eastern Michigan University’s auxiliary budget operations will merge with general fund budget operations and become the office of University budgets.

“Student affairs and business and finance are coming together in an effort to do business better and streamline processes,” said Steve Holda, interim director of finance for EMU.

Auxiliary budget operations were previously housed under student affairs and were the responsibility of Jim Vick, vice president for student affairs. Vicki Bagherzadeh, who was in charge of auxiliary budgeting, will now oversee both groups and report to Holda. Only budget operations of auxiliaries, not the programming areas, will report to Holda.

Holda said Bagherzadeh will become director of University budgeting.

“One of the benefits of this arrangement is that Al Levett, director of budget management, will now be free to work on special projects,” said Holda. Holda said that would include leading the University’s effort to develop an integrated multi-year budgeting model.

“This is a great opportunity for the University. We could likely see some organizational synergies that will develop from this. We’re excited about it,” said Jim Vick, vice president for student affairs.

The nine employees who will be impacted by the change will be housed in Hover.

“We have less financial and personnel resources and we have to find ways to do things better,” Holda said. “It’s a matter of revolution vs. evolution regarding the changes we need to make in how we do business at EMU.”

Eastern Michigan University is a public, comprehensive university that offers programs in the arts, sciences and professions. EMU prepares students with the intellectual skills and practical experiences to succeed in their careers and lives, and to be better citizens.

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Eastern Michigan University is a public, comprehensive
university that offers programs in the arts, sciences and professions.
EMU prepares students with the intellectual skills and practical experiences
to succeed in their career and lives, and to be better citizens.